Dispensing machine



Sept. 15, 1959 E. KHLER 2,904,215

DISPENSING MACHINE Filed Feb. 18, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l sept. 15, 1959 E. KHLER 2,904,215

DISPENSING MACHINE Filed Feb. 18, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 DISPENSING MACHINE Eduard Khler, Baden-Wurttemherg, Germany Application February 18, l1957, Serial No. 640,970

y6 Claims. (Cl. 221`8l) There is in existence a very wide variety of dispensing machines, particularly for dispensing cigarettes. In these, various -systems are in use. In most cases the machines are released or operated by applying pressure to a button or the like, whereupon the object, e.g. a cigarette, is removed or ejected. Depending on the design, the articles are either loosely stacked in a magazine or disposed around the circumference of a drum in separate containers. In the latter form this drum is mechanically driven via a transmission and the ejecting action for the article is also produced and transmitted by purely mechanical means. However, such mechanisms have notable disadvantages, derived on the one hand from the comparatively complex transmission mechanism, the individual parts of which must be manufactured with great precision, and on the other hand from their susceptibility to damage. Moreover they are subjected to considerable excess strains whenever the mechanism is operated somewhat roughly, so that the life of the device depends to a great extent on the way it is handled on each occasion.

In order to overcome the disadvantages of the different designs and to produce a machine in which only a very few, simple parts are needed, and above all one which will not suffer damage when subjected to strong stress a dispensing machine is herein proposed in which several product containers are arranged about a rotationally mounted drum and in which said drum is furnished with a ratchet wheel for bringing the products to the ejection point. The ratchet wheel is acted upon by a lixed shifting mechanism and the ejection of the products is achieved by introducing compressed air into the product containers. The use of compressed air means that neither the products nor the mechanical parts can be damaged by jerky operation of the machine. This is particularly important where tobacco products are involved. The furnishing and transmission of compressed air are very easy to achieve, and the resistances encountered at bends are entirely negligible compared with the friction created in lever transmissions. However, compressed aid would not be an accurate enough means of bringing the objects intoy the ejecting position, since each container, in turn, must be brought directly in front of the air escape point and such accuracy can only be achieved by means of a mechanical drive. It is therefore necessary to combine thesetwo features inA order to procure a very accurately operating and at the same time rugged dispensing machine. The invention is, of course, not restricted to tobacco products, but is entirely suitable, also, for the `storage and dispensation of other articles, such as candies, drops, and the like in cylindrical form.

f The compressed air is preferably produced by means of a bellows or cylinder and piston or the like which forces it through an aperture to a fixed air escape hole, especially one located underneath the product. The use of a bellows to produce the compressed air is particularly simple and the materials required, such as rubber or any elastic or plastic material, are comparatively cheap 2,904,215. Patented Sept. 1.5, 1959 and present no processing diculties. Since a rotating air supply system requires special leak prevention means it is best to have this system stationary and the products movable. Special advantages are gained when the air escape hole is provided with a nozzle that is capable of longitudinal displacement in the compressed air line. In this way the air current is concentrated at one point and the eticiency is greatly increased. Above all, this makes it unnecessary to make the space following the nozzle completely air tight.

Since the air has to be introduced into the moving product container, special diilculties are encountered Iwith the seal between each container and the air escape hole. A very close sliding contact between these parts would very greatly increase the friction without, however, producing the required seal. For this reason the back end of the nozzle possess a surface suitable for the formation of an air resistance, especially an annular surface, and its front end is conically shaped so as to t into a corresponding air inlet hole in the product container. The air pressure in the line iirst pushes the nozzle against the air escape hole and into the air inlet hole of the product container, so that a comparatively tight transition is achieved. It is thus possible to position the product `container and the air escape hole `a certain relatively great distance apart without running into leakage diiiiculties.

Since it is not always possible, depending on the type of product, to direct the air current directly against the product, special intermediate parts may be used.l Specifically, the product containers may contain pistons which move freely in the longitudinal direction. The current now strikes these pistons and displaces them within the product container, resulting in the ejection of the product resting on the piston. In order to con-` centrate the air current in this case also, the bottom ends of the pistons towards the container inlet hole prefer-y ably have the form of a hollow cone.

The product containers are arranged on the rotationall'y mounted drum, which possesses a ratchet wheel coacting with a stationary shift mechanism. The spring-loaded, movable part of the air compression system is furnished with drive means acting on the shift mechanism, the compression taking place against the force of the spring while the advance of the container drum occurs with it. This separation of the direction of motion with re spect to compression of the air and the drive of the drum results in a further protection for the entire apparatus, since any jerky operation affects only the former operation and the parts of the compression system are insensitive to it. The driving mechanism of the drum, however, always moves With uniform force and speed, since* only the force of the spring is involved. l'

The shifting mechanism includes an essentially known ratchet-and-stop gear preferably comprising in each case an angle lever, one arm of which is curved on a radius corresponding approximately to that of the inner surface of the drum while the other arm engages with its free end in the ratchet wheel. The curvature of the lever makes it possible to keep the entire drive mechanismwithin a minimum space and thus to keep the dimensions of the machine small.

' The curved arm of the angle lever should be mounted so that it can move at right angles to the axis of rotation of the drum and has a pin which co-acts with an inclined slot provided on the movable part of the air compression system. At the lower end of the other arm is a pawl which is subject to the action of a spring. The free end of the pivoted, curved ann of the stop lever should co-act with a pin mounted on the movable part of the air compression system. The two arms of the stop leverv can be joined together by pivot means and can be sub-y ject to spring action, and the lever may have a tip which co-acts with a stationary stop, in which case the ratchet `lever will possess a tip co-acting with a cam surface of the stop lever for the purpose of releasing the lock. With this arrangement the latch gear isV released just before the drive mechanism vstarts to move, so that the drum is capable of free movement only during a ycomparatively short time. The accuracy of the separate functions is thereby basically increased. The co-action of the stop and ratchet levers prevents the stopping device from coming into effect before the rotation step is completed.

The drawing shows one example of the invention, wherein Y Figure l is a longitudinal section through a cigarette dispenser;

Figure 2 is a view from above with the top removed; and

Figure 3 is a development of the stationary cylinder which houses the drive mechanism and a corresponding development of the cylindrical surfaces connected to the movable part of the air compression device and supporting the drive members.

Container 1 is closed at the top by cover 2. The latter has an operating knob 3 in the centre which is joined to a piston 4. Piston 4 slides in cylinder 5, which is rigidly joined to cover 2, and can be pressed downwards against the force of spring 6. Piston 4 is rigidly joined, in turn, to a rod 7 which serves on the one hand as a guide for spring 6 and on the other hand for the reception of a coupling member 8, 9 mounted at its -lower end. The entire drive and air compression systems are housed in container 1. Air cylinder 11 in which piston 12 slides is rigidly joined to container 1 by means of an intermediate member bolted to the container. A spring 13 supported in the air cylinder acts on piston 12. The movement of piston 12 is brought about by knob 3 via coupling member 8, 9. The latter is mounted only on cover 14 of piston 12. However, cover 14 is also furnished with two cylindrically curved, mutually opposite surfaces 15 and 16, the functions of which will be explained below. Surfaces 15 and 16 slide in the manner of pistons in another cylinder 17, which contains the drive parts.

Container drum 19 is rotationally mounted by means of two ball bearings 18 on intermediate piece 10. Drum 19 accommodates the individual containers 20 which hold cigarettes 21. By means of the drive mechanism explained further below the separate containers 20 are brought successively to the ejection position 22. An ejection opening 23 is provided at the ejection position 22 on cover 2. Below this is a stationary air line with its air escape hole 25. Air line 24 has a nozzle 26 which can slide longitudinally inside it and which at its back has an annularly shaped surface 27 acting as an air resistance and its front end 28 is conically shaped. As soon as compressed air flows through line 24 it strikes against annular surface 27 and forces nozzle 26 outwards so as to insert its conical tip 28 into the air inlet hole 29 of product container 20. The latter contains a piston 30 which is also movable and is hollow-cone shaped at the bottom at 31, while at the top end 32 it supports cigarette 21. The motion of piston 30 now expels cigarette 21 from container 20 through hole 23 in the cover. Piston 30 and nozzle 26 then return to their starting positions. The connection between product container 20 and air line 24 is thereby broken.

When knob 3 is released spring 13 again forces piston 12 back to its starting position. With the return motion of piston 12 the two cylindrically curved surfaces 15 and 16 also slide back upwards and actuate the drive mechanism itself. This is clearly illustrated specially in Figure 3. Stop lever 33 and ratchet lever 34 are mounted on cylinder 17 which is connected to the intermediate piece 10 of the container. `Horizontal arm 35 of stop l'ever 33 and arm 36 ofratchet lever 34 are curved to correspond to the radius of cylinder 17. This radius corresponds in turn approximately to the given inner surface of drum 19, since both parts, of course, must be situated as close to each other as possible in order to conserve space. Curved arm 35 of stop lever 33 is pivoted at 37 by means of a screw or pin on cylinder 17, There is a pivot joint also between `curved arm 35 and vertical arm 38 at 39. The two parts are also forced outwards by means of a spring 40 disposed at pivot point 39. Vertical arm 38 is at the same time placed in a ratchet 41 and has a tip 42 co-acting with this ratchet. Its lower part 43 operates in the proper positions with ratchet wheel 44 which is rigidly joined to drum 19.

The curved arm 36 of ratchet lever 34, on the other hand, is made movable in the peripheral direction of cylinder 17 and perpendicular to the axis of rotation of drum 19. At the bottom of its perpendicular arm 144 is a latch member 45 which is pivoted at 46'on this arm. Both parts are forced outwards by a spring 47, the motion being limited by means of a stop 48 mounted on latch member 45. The two cylindrically curved surfaces 16 and 15 bring about the operation of stop lever 33 and ratchet lever 34. Surface 16 possesses a pin 49 which on the downwards motion of piston 12, and hence of surface 16, moves the front part 50 of arm 35 downwards, so that the lower part 43 of vertical arm 38 is lifted out of the corresponding hole 51 of ratchet wheel 44, while tip 42, as a result of the action of spring 40, comes to rest against stop 41, so that vertical arm 38 cannot re-engage. Surface 15, co-acting with latch lever 34, on the other hand possesses an inclined slot 52 which co-acts with a pin 53 mounted rigidly in curved arm 36. When surface 15 now moves downwards, lever 36, as evident from Figure 3, now moves to the right and latch member 45 can emerge from the given hole 51 of ratchet wheel 44 and engage in the next hole on the wheel.

Now, as soon as the upwards motion of piston 12, and hence of surfaces 15 and 16, begins as a result of the action of spring 13, curved arm 35 of the stop lever is released, but stop lever 33, owing to ratchet 41, stays in the same position until tip 54 of curved arm 36 of ratchet 34 runs up onto cam 55 of vertical arm 38 of stop lever 33. This releases tip 42 from the ratchet, so that the lower part 43 of vertical arm 38 again engages in a hole 51 of ratchet wheel 44. However, the locking mechanism of stop lever 33 is not released until the motion of curved arm 36 of yratchet lever 34 towards the left in the drawing plane is almost completed. That is to say, on the upwards motion of surface, 15, owing to the action of inclined slot 52 and pin S3, ratchet lever 34 is again moved into the position represented, whereupon latch member 45, because of stop 48, drives the ratchet wheel in the same direction.

A single operation of the device now takes place as follows. When knob 3 is depressed piston 12 is dis placed downwards against the force of spring 13 in air cylinder 11 and the resulting compressed air passes through hole 56 of intermediate piece 10 of air line 24, whereupon the connection is formed between this line and the particular product container 20 situated above it at this time by displacement of nozzle 26. The air current thus transferred to container 20 forces piston 30 upwards so that cigarette 21 is ejected. At the same time during the downwards motion surfaces 15 and 16 are moved downwards so that stop lever 33 is released just before the end of the motion from ratchet wheel 40, and ratchet lever 34 is -displaced to the right in the drawing plane into the next hole 51 of ratchet wheel 44. During the ensuing upwards movement of piston 12 and the surfaces 15 and 16 connected thereto as a result of the action of spring 13, ratchet lever 34 moves to the left in the drawing plane, driving ratchet wheel 44 with it, and stop lever 33 is again released so that it again holds the ratchet wheel in place. The next cigarette is now ready 'for ejection and the process is repeated in the same way.

I claim:

1. A dispensing machine comprising a rotatably mounted drum, a plurality of product containers on said drum, each said container having an air inlet, a duct for compressed air having an air outlet, said air outlet having a nozzle capable of longitudinal displacement in said duct, said containers in response to rotation of said drum being successively movable to place said air inlets in successive communication with said air outlet, each said container having a product ejection position dened by location of its said `air inlet in communication with said air outlet, manually actuable means for producing a oW of compressed air through said duct into one of said containers whilst in said ejection position to eject to product therein, a ratchet Wheel fixed to said drum, a fixed shifting mechanism responsive to movement of said manually actuable means for actuating said ratchet Wheel to rotate said drum and e'ect said successive movement of said containers.

2. A dispensing machine as `deiined in claim 1, said nozzle having a surface at its back end constituting a resistance to air flow, and a cone-shaped front end, said container air inlet receiving said cone-shaped front end.

3. A dispensing machine `as defined in claim 1, each said product container having a piston therein, said piston being actuated under the influence of compressed air to impart ejecting movement to a product in said container.

4. A dispensing machine as deiined in claim 3, said piston having va cone-shaped recess in its lower end.

5. A dispensing machine comprising a rotatably mounted drum, `a plurality of product containers on said drum, each said container having an air inlet, a duct for compressed air having an 'air outlet, said containers in response to rotation of said drum being successively movable to place said air inlets in successive communication with said air outlet, each said container having a product ejection position defined by location of its said inlet in communication with said air outlet,

manually `actu-able means for producing a W of compressed air through said duct into one of said containers Whilst in said ejection position to eject a product therein, said manually actuable means having a movable part and `a spring action on said movable part, said movable part being movable against the action of said spring to produce :said iiow of lair under pressure, a ratchet wheel fixed to said drum, and a Xed shifting mechanism responsive to movement of said manually actuable means for -actuating said ratchet Wheel to rotate said drum and effect said successive movement of said containers, said shifting mechanism having a ratchet and stop means comprising an angle lever having one arm curved to a radius approximately corresponding `to that of `the inner surface of said drum, and another arm engaging said ratchet Wheel, said curved arm being displaceable approximately perpendicularly to the Iaxis of rotation of said drum and having a pin, said movable part having an inclined slot receiving said pin, `said other arm having a latching member, and a spring acting on said latching member.

6. A dispensing machine as defined in claim 5, said two arms of said lever being pivotally connected to each other, a `spring acting on each of said arms, -a stop, said angle lever having a portion engageable by said stop, and a cam on said angle lever, said latching member having a portion engaging said cam.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 535,752 Doughty Mar. `12, 1895 702,218 lanisch June 10, 1902 2,218,317 Parker Oct. 15, 1940 2,682,983 Ashcroft July 6, 1954 2,7 60,679 Chadderton et a1 Aug. 28, 1956 2,790,500 Jones Apr. 30, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 444,151 Germany May 16, 1927 910,618 France June 13, 1946 

